Course Content
External Strategic Analysis
External Analysis, PEST, Porter’s Approach to Industry Analysis
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Business Portfolio Analysis
Business Portfolio Analysis - BCG, GE Business Model, Ansoff’s Product Market Growth Matrix
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Unit VI: Strategic Management

 

Resource-Based Theory for Competitive Advantage: Robert M. Grant: 1991

 

I. Introduction

  Robert Grant

  1. The Resource-Based Theory for Competitive Advantage was proposed by Robert M. Grant in 1991.
  2. Also known as Resource-based Approach / Resource based view / RBV
  3. It is a strategic framework that emphasizes the internal resources are more important for a firm than external forces for competitive advantage.

II. Resource-Based Theory Approach

Robert outlined a logical, sequential process that starts from identifying internal resources and ends with addressing gaps after strategy selection.

 

A. Identify and classify the firm’s resources in terms of strengths and weaknesses → This is the starting point, focusing on what the firm owns or controls.

B. Combine the firm’s strengths into specific capabilities → Resources are integrated to form organizational capabilities.

C. Appraise the profit potential of these capabilities in terms of their potential for sustainable competitive advantage → Capabilities are evaluated using criteria like durability, imitability, and appropriability.

D. Select the strategy that best exploits the firm’s capabilities relative to external opportunities → Strategy is chosen by aligning internal strengths with external environment.

E. Identify resource gaps and invest in upgrading weaknesses → Finally, the firm addresses deficiencies to support the chosen strategy.